Football: Southern Bowl Tryout Tour seeks NFL hopefuls

SAN JOSE—The inaugural Southern Bowl Tryout Tour is coming to the Bay Area and is inviting athletes to get one step closer to achieving their NFL dreams.
The tour is seeking players who are “on the cusp” of making an NFL roster to join one of its two teams, which will be comprised of athletes from around the country. The tryout will be at 9 a.m. July 11 at the San Jose State University’s Spartan Stadium.
“We wanted to go across the country. We wanted to go west, middle, east of the country and we wanted to go north and south,” Southern Bowl North America Director Jarin Giesler said. “California is a hotbed for world-class athletes and we immediately circled the Bay Area (as a tour stop).”
Those selected for the 2016 Southern Bowl will have an opportunity to showcase their talent to NFL Scouts, coaches and teams during two weeks of practice, culminating with two games at Auckland’s Eden Park and Wellington’s Westpac Arena in New Zealand. Athletes will receive an all-expense trip to New Zealand, which includes travel around the country, in addition to the chance to win monetary bonuses for Most Outstanding Offensive Player, Most Outstanding Defensive Player, just to name a few.
“We’re offering players a very unique chance to prove their merits, show what they have to NFL scouts, to NFL personalities, to prove that they belong in the league,” Giesler said.
The tryout, Giesler said, will be similar to that of an NFL workout. Athletes can expect to be timed in the 40-yard dash and short shuttle, before doing position-specific drills and training sessions.
While the tour is seeking NFL-caliber athletes to fill its 80 roster spots, Giesler stressed the tryouts are open to everyone—not just those who have attended an NFL mini-camp.
Giesler said the NFL scouts he has spoken to express excitement over “the best American football players” in one place. And they get to do it in scenic New Zealand.
“With American football, it’s really growing into a global game and it’s expanding across the world,” Giesler said. “We want to take it into new markets and share America’s game with the world.”
Interested athletes can register for the tryout at southernbowl.com. The cost is $100 to reserve a slot.